


Unnoticed memories

by HikariHM



Category: Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Childhood Memories, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Father Figures, Father's Day fic, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 06:26:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19245646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariHM/pseuds/HikariHM
Summary: Wallace is about to get married and Juan decides to gift him with all the truths he left unspoken as the years went by.





	Unnoticed memories

**Author's Note:**

> Actually, I wrote this like a month and a half ago while being dead bored in 7 a.m class as a way to avoid falling asleep right there, but I decided to post it here today because y´know, father's day! So, enjoy it.

He looked at himself through the mirror, smiling proudly as his shiny teal eyes wandered all over his own reflection, taking the image of his body all dressed up with layers and more layers of his native land’s wedding attire: colorful patterns were needlework over the white fabric of his robe, matched with flowers and jewelry, each piece of clothing holding a special and ancient meaning from traditional sootopolitan’s rites.

As his Master –the man he admired so much– approached him in order to add the last pieces of jewelry to his costume, he sighed contentedly.

“I’m aching to see Steven already,” Wallace said, and by listening to his voice alone anyone could tell he had a broad grin shaped on his lips. “He must look gorgeous dressed up like this.”

Juan lent him the last bracelet as he answered, “He sure does. Lisia was pretty enthusiastic about preparing him, add to that that your sister’s helping him as well…”

Finally ready, Wallace turned to face the other man, his clothes making a graceful motion as he did so: he met the image of his Master wearing a traditional ceremonial robe, yet, a simpler version of his own, “I’m excited beyond words.”

Juan smiled a genuine smile, “I’m so happy for you, Wallace, I really am. It is a blessing to see you getting married to this bliss and commitment.”

For the tone the older man used, Wallace knew it was the moment to have a talk, one he had been anticipating.

“Ah, Wallace… My dearest Wallace,” Juan sighed, “this should be the moment when I give you a speech about marriage, love and life. But, even though I am supposed to be a guide for you as you regard me as your Master, I´m speechless. I’m sure that you understand this whole matter much more than I do, and for that, I apologize.”

The taller man hurried to shake his head in denial, “Please, don’t see it like that,” Wallace requested softly. “You may have never gotten married, yet, if somehow I was able to build a relationship as beautiful as the one I share with Steven it was thanks to all of the life lessons you taught me.“

That statement earned him a nervous chuckle.

“Life’s truly a crazy thing,” Juan began thoughtfully. “To think that I met you when you were just a little child, exactly, when you were only 7 years old…”

The look on his blue eyes was as nostalgic as it was tender.

“You know, Wallace? I’m sure I’ve never told you this before but… back then, I hated myself. I made very dumb and wrong decisions as I was stupid and bigheaded and that led me to end up alone, without family or friends around, only fake friends who wanted to take advantage of me. I was successful for sure, my career as gym leader and coordinator was everything I ever dreamt on, yet being so alone it didn’t mean anything, so I was unhappy and people didn’t understand why if apparently I had it all.”

Carefully, Juan looked for Wallace’s soft and feminine hands and then held them between his bigger ones with delicacy.

“But then, you appeared; a sweet child, a gentle one, so smart and wise at such a young age. And you admired me. You looked up to me and went everywhere saying you wanted to be like me,” briefly, he laughed with a faint grin over his lips yet halfheartedly. “That someone as pure and nice and important as you said that wanted to be like me… you made me go from feeling like a complete waste to feel it was worthy to keep moving on. And I started to feel a lot less alone.”

Softly, almost inaudibly, Wallace gasped, and slowly his cheeks began to grow red, his eyes threatening to tear at any moment.

“You had to endure tough situations being so little. First, your father died, though, your world went completely undone when your mother passed away.”

Wallace nodded.

“And when that happened I was afraid you would change your mind about everything you said you wanted to achieve, and for quite some time it seemed like you had, you didn’t even go out from home anymore.”

“You motivated me to move on.”

“It was your own willpower, I barely did anything. You motivated yourself and I was so glad that you were back on the road that I couldn’t help it and that was why I offered myself to train you and be your master.”

He could notice how those eyes gloomily danced. The other man sighed heavily.

“But at the end of the day, I am sure it was you who ended up teaching me the most.”

Wallace shook his head, failing to smile; he squeezed the hands that were holding his, and Juan began to caress them softly with the tip of his thumbs.

“Don’t you doubt it, it always has been the other way around.”

Juan chuckled, “Hah… you never failed to surprise me. At first, we only trained and strictly trained, but as time went by you started to share your issues and daily struggles with me.”

“I trusted in you so much.”

“And for that, I was so proud of myself,” his sincere statement leaked a playful tone. “Like, do you remember when you were so troubled about your sister being pregnant of a baby that you legitimately believed that was going to steal all the attention she gave to you?”

He nodded, certainly moved of reminding everything his Master was talking about.

“Isn't life crazy…? To think that I’ve loved Lisia ever since the very first moment I held her in my arms. I never really saw her as a competition but as the person I want to protect the most.”

Acknowledging that, Juan paused shortly and then allowed himself to continue.

“Or, like that other time when you entrusted me, an old man with his very old ways of thinking, from all people, the fact that you had realized you also like men and that you had fallen for a guy. Lots of people already judged you and you were so scared that anyone besides me would realize, but you didn’t mind and stayed true to yourself, and that demonstration of braveness really shook me.”

“If I was able to endure all of those things it was thanks to you.”

Again, Juan looked up to him.

“Sooner than later, being so talented and disciplined, you exceeded me; you became an elegant coordinator, a tough trainer, a fair and collected guardian and a virtuous young man… hah, you even became taller than me. I’m sure you get what it feels like to see your apprentice surpassing your highest qualities,” Juan suggested referring to Lisia. “Though, in my personal case, it became terrifying.”

As he grew up, he never noticed anything of those things Juan was recalling out loud. Because of that Wallace glared at him with awe at all of those confessions, as he didn’t ever believe himself able of awakening all of those feelings on a gentle yet distant man as Juan proved to be with almost anyone but few people, being Wallace one of them.

He allowed himself to ask for further details, “Why?”

“I was afraid that once you wouldn’t need me anymore you were going to leave me behind,” and his next words were enough to bring hot tears to Wallace’s eyes. “Because I loved you a lot, in that selfless way I ‘ve never loved anyone else ever since.”

Letting the tears to silently, softly fall, he nodded.

Juan’s throat tightened as well, “Yet, as I previously said, you never failed to surprise me; so, you kept on visiting me, calling me up, writing when you were far away from home, asking for this lonesome man’s advice. And that, Wallace, made me so happy as you won’t ever be able to measure.”

Juan squeezed his hands.

“I do recall now when you broke up your last relationship prior dating Steven: you cried yourself to sleep on my couch and you said you got it all wrong, that you didn’t know what to do or what was next for you.”

Later, he smiled sublimely at the following memories.

“As well, I treasure preciously in my memory the day you told me Steven and you were in a relationship; you were beaming with bliss, smiling from ear to ear, so at ease. And I can affirm that that blissfulness never really left, you found and built this passionate, tender love where you feel safe,” and finally, with great respect and admiration, Juan drew Wallace’s hands near his lips and kissed both of them.

That action, so full of love and a reciprocated admiration, made Wallace sob as he was crying deeply moved. The faint and quivering grin on his rosy lips only grew broader when the other man resumed speaking beautiful words.

 “And for you to choose me to walk down the aisle with you and lead you to the arms of the man you picked to be your partner for the rest of your life, I feel so honored,” he was obliged to sigh and pause as his voice threatened with chocking and stuttering before he could be done speaking. “I’m honored that you asked me to play a role I can finally admit after all these years that I always wanted to play in your life.”

Wallace only got to fervently kiss back Juan’s hands, later resting his forehead where these laced.

“Even if I knew your parents and talked to them many times and I got to know you thanks to them… damn, I watched you grow up from a little boy to the man you are now. I must confess that…” He didn’t fight it back anymore, just like Wallace, he started crying. “I see you as my own child, Wallace, as the son I'm so proud of.”

Bliss was evident on those teal eyes as Wallace raised his head to be able of staring into his beloved Master’s ones.

“And I regard you as my father as well.” Wallace also admitted after years of feeling that way. “I… I mean… I barely remember my biological father as I was so little when he died. The only father I remember having unconditionally by my side through the good and hard times is you and only you.”

“Then… would you mind to start calling me ‘father’?”

“But… you are my Master,” Wallace answered in a breathy way, emphasizing the last word. “It is you who shaped me into the man I am today and that taught me everything I know. Is a respectful title you’ve earned, you don’t deserve to be called anything less than that.”

“Trust me, it will be a greater respectful title for me to be called the father of someone like you.”

Wallace laughed flattered, his face all red by now, and his makeup kind of messed up; but he didn’t mind, he could fix himself after that, at that point the only thing that really mattered for him was the precious moments he was sharing with the man that watched him growing up and that now was requesting him to be part of that new chapter in his life he was about to start with Steven as his husband.

Letting go of the tension he didn’t even was aware that he had built over his shoulders, he made a trivial question intending for it to be playful, “Would it be fine if eventually Steven started calling you that?”

“He’s the partner you picked, after all, in one more hour, your husband. If he’s worthy for you, naturally and of course he’s worthy for me.”

“And… are you willing to be called my father despite the fact that when Lisia finds out she’s going to start calling you grandad for sure?”

They laughed at that last question.

“Well, that will feel weird at first, but I’d be so happy if she saw me as part of her family as well.”

At last, Wallace bent over to hug Juan and be embraced warmly by him in return, his heart beating blissfully inside of his chest.

“I love you, dad. Thank you for everything.”

His father kissed his cheek and later squeezed him between his loving and protective arms.

“I love you too, son.”   


End file.
